BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Buffalo State softball team moved one step closer to a second consecutive SUNYAC postseason appearance, as the Bengals allowed just five hits in a doubleheader sweep of Potsdam from the Softball Field on a beautiful Friday afternoon. The Bengals defeated Potsdam, 8-0 and 8-0 in six and five innings, respectively.
 
GAME 1 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 8, Potsdam – 0 (six innings)
LOCATION: Buffalo State Softball Field – Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS: Buffalo State (13-20, 5-10 SUNYAC), Potsdam (0-30, 0-15)
 
GAME 2 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 8, Potsdam – 0 (five innings)
LOCATION: Buffalo State Softball Field – Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS: Buffalo State (14-20, 6-10 SUNYAC), Potsdam (0-31, 0-16)
 
POSTSEASON SCENARIOS

• Buffalo State earned a sweep, Fredonia and Plattsburgh split a pair of games, and Brockport swept Oswego in Friday's action.
• The seventh-place Bengals (6-10, 12 points) move to two points of sixth-place Fredonia (7-9, 14 points) and four points of fifth-place Plattsburgh (8-8, 16 points).
• The Bengals will clinch a postseason berth with a doubleheader sweep of Plattsburgh on Saturday, regardless of how Brockport (6-10, 12 points) and Fredonia finish.
• Fredonia will host Potsdam, while Brockport will take on Cortland.
• Buffalo State can clinch the fifth seed in the event of a three-way tie between Plattsburgh and Fredonia.
• Full standings can be found here.

 
 
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORES

• Taylor Benton (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) went 5-7 in the two games, driving in five runs while scoring four more.
• Kayla Wolinski (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) tallied five hits in the two games, including two doubles, increasing her hits streak to 11 games. She drove in three runs.
• Sarah Congelosi (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central) extended her hits streak to a team-best 12 games after tallying a hit in both games.
• Carli Bogue (Elba, N.Y./Elba) was electric in the circle, twirling a three-hit performance in game one, striking out four batters in six innings to improve to 5-10.
• Ella Susi (Lake View, N.Y./Frontier) matched Bogue's performance in game two, pitching a two-hit shutout with four strikeouts in five innings.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)

• The Bengals' first six batters reached base safely, as they were able to grab a 3-0 lead with run-scoring hits by Benton and Wolinski.
• The Bengals added a run in the fourth, thanks to a two-out, RBI single by Deme Kellogg (Gansevoort, N.Y./South Glens Falls) which scored Benton.
• In the sixth, Benton and Meghan Baio (Youngstown, N.Y./Lewiston-Porter) drove in runs to give the Bengals a 6-0 lead.
• The next batter, Wolinski, drove a pitch through to the right side, scoring Oriana Castello (Pearl River, N.Y./Nanuet) as the Bengals led by seven.
• Caitlyn Parsons (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) ended the game with a walk-off double to right center field, scoring Wolinski as the game ended via the run rule.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)

• The Bengals once again took the early lead, this time with a four-run first as Castello scored on a Benton RBI triple, and Wolinski, Congelosi, and Abigail Kruse (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South), tallied RBIs.
• 'State added three more in the second, as Castello brought home Jenna Wlostowski (Lancaster, N.Y./Alden) from second with an RBI triple.
• Benton then brought Castello home with a double, and Parsons knocked Benton home with an RBI single, giving the Bengals a 7-0 lead.
• An infield single gave the Bengals an 8-0 lead in the third, as an error eventually led to a run-scoring infield single by Benton.
• Susi ran into slight trouble in the fifth, but was guided out of trouble by a key double play by Wolinski, and a groundout with the bases loaded to Parsons at first base.

 
FOR THE FOES

• Anna Grottola tallied a hit in both games to lead the Bears.
• Anna Brown (0-16) allowed eight runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings pitched in game one.
• Rebecca Holmes (0-1) allowed seven runs on nine hits in 1.1 innings pitched for the Bears.

 
UP NEXT         
The Bengals will finish the regular season with a doubleheader with Plattsburgh, beginning at noon. The Bengals will honor their five-person senior class of Benton, Bogue, Wolinski, Lauren Jolly (Waterloo, N.Y./Waterloo) and Sydney McIntosh (Buffalo, N.Y./Kenmore West), as well as the Plattsburgh seniors, before the game.